Study: Young Muslims in Brussels Prioritize Religious Identity Over Local Ties

Published by Innoviris, this study is entitled "Between Secularization and Rupture. Young Brussels Muslims: Practices, Identities and Beliefs." Its authors, researchers Nawal Bensaid, Corinne Torrekens and Dimokritos Kavadias, wanted to know the relationship of young Brussels Muslims to society. The survey covers a sample of 124 young people. They were first questioned about identity: 76% of young people consider themselves first and foremost as Muslim, then 73% as Brussels residents. Those with the strongest attachment to the countries of origin of their parents or grandparents are the children of Turkish origin.

In the qualitative survey, most of the young people interviewed claim not to know any discrimination. Conversely, many young Muslims say they are checked for no reason and accused wrongly of an act they did not commit at school or are victims of discrimination, especially when they are looking for a job or housing, in the quantitative survey.

The issue of the neighborhood was also addressed in the study. Young Muslims say they feel comfortable in Brussels, can go anywhere, but they don’t go to neighborhoods like Uccle or Watermael-Boitsfort. Regarding the wearing of the veil, young people denounce a limitation of their freedom or that of their sisters to be able to practice their religion as they wish.

On the issue of homosexuality, 25% of young Muslims are willing to end a friendship if they learn of their friend’s homosexuality. The others recall that religion cannot accept homosexuality while Islam corresponds to tolerance.